Once fermentation over in primary, does temperature matter?

[gannawdm]

During fermentation, I try to keep the temperature of the wort at around 70 degrees. Many of the recipes I've seen recommend leaving in the primary (or secondary) for a few weeks which is longer than the fermentation period. Once fermentation has slowed or stopped, do the temperature requirements change? Can I move my fermenter into a 50-60 degree unheated room at that point?

 

[weirdboy]

IMO 50-60 degrees is better for bulk aging than 70 degrees.


So, yeah.

 

[impatient]

Sure does. The yeast are alive still and can produce off flavors.

 

[Revvy]

Actually temp is only really crucial during the first few hours of primary fermentation. It's sort of a good idea to pay attention to if for about 72 hours or so, then once it looks like fermentation is winding down, then you don't have to worry as much. Since I use a swamp cooler in warm weather, I keep swapping out frozen water bottles for the first 3 days, then after that I just leave it alone, and the bath will warm to ambient.

Obviously if you're in the heat of summer and your ambient is in the high 80's or more, you want to keep it down.

But really if your ambient is in the 60's or 70's then letting it go to that temp after the the largest amount of fermentation has slowed down is fine.

 

[DasHos]

Hey guys. I'm really sorry for bringing up such an old thread. Believe me, I did search....anyway....I brewed a Vanilla Porter a bit ago. For about the first two weeks, I kept the temps between 60-64 degrees. After that, it got REALLY cold during night time (about 30ish) and was usually in the mid 60's to low 70's during the day. Based on what I've been reading, temperature fluctuations aren't a *huge* deal after primary fermentation, but what about 40 degree fluctuations? Also Revvy, thank the lord for your bottling thread! It was a real time/back/beer saver!

 

[Progentator]

That is a really big temperature swing. Are your carboys inside in your house and do you have anything wrapped around them?

I don't think it will be that big of a deal since the temperature of the beer doesn't fluctuate nearly as quickly as ambient.

If that is going to be a regular concern, I would build an insulated box to keep the ambient temperature steady. I had just wrapped insulation around the card board box my carboy came in. Nowhere near as good as an actual fermentation chamber but works well for aging. I wouldn't recommend using that for primary fermentation as it will get too warm.

 

[Progentator]

That is a really big temperature swing. Are your carboys inside in your house and do you have anything wrapped around them?

I don't think it will be that big of a deal since the temperature of the beer doesn't fluctuate nearly as quickly as ambient.

If that is going to be a regular concern, I would build an insulated box to keep the ambient temperature steady. I had just wrapped insulation around the card board box my carboy came in. Nowhere near as good as an actual fermentation chamber but works well for aging. I wouldn't recommend using that for primary fermentation as it will get too warm.